


Marks We Leave

by anysin



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 17:36:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12940299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anysin/pseuds/anysin
Summary: Ford examines Stan's scars.





	Marks We Leave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Inorganic_soot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inorganic_soot/gifts).



While Stan sleeps, Ford examines his scars. Stan doesn’t have as many of them as Ford does, but he sports an impressive number of them nevertheless. Some of them are familiar to Ford, some of them are not; Ford likes to tickle the one on the side of Stan’s knee, a result of a childhood scuffle, but he takes care to never touch the brand. He doesn’t want to remind Stan of painful times anymore, now that they’re finally past them.

Not that it keeps him from feeling guilty. It will take a lot to keep him from feeling that way, now that years of regrets are all weighing on him at once.

“You know,” Stan says, “if you’re going to be breathing in my neck, you could kiss me a little more.”

Ford’s first reaction is shame; he hadn’t realized that Stan was awake after all, a mistake that could have easily cost his life in the worlds beyond the portal. But he brushes that feeling aside, reaching out to press a kiss Stan’s shoulder, then to his neck; Stan tilts his head to the side, exposing the line of his neck a little more, and Ford takes the opportunity to mouth along it, tasting his brother.

“What’s on your mind?” Stan asks, reaching behind to rest his palm against Ford’s cheek, stroking it.

Ford doesn’t want to answer. He doesn’t want to talk about his guilt, his regrets, all the things he should have done and left undone, all the things that could have been avoided along with the pain they caused- but he has always talked the talk about being truthful, so he feels the obligation to try.

“I was thinking of your scars. The ones I’ve seen and ones I haven’t.” His eyes wander over to the brand, before he can direct them anywhere else, to something that doesn’t hurt so much. “About your brand.”

To his great surprise, Stan doesn’t stiffen. Stan keeps stroking Ford’s cheek, fingers stretching out even higher to entwine into Ford’s hair. “Don’t,” Stan says, his voice soft and lazy. “I don’t.”

That should be enough for Ford. If Stan has forgiven him, then- “But you should. I gave it you-”

“So? I’d rather get a scar from you than anyone else.”

Ford grimaces. “You know, Stanley, that doesn’t make me feel any better at all.”

“Come on, you just need to try.” Stan starts to turn over, shifting to his back before rolling over to face Ford, reaching out to grab Ford from the back of his neck, holding him firmly from there as he looks into Ford’s eyes. “It’s in the past. It’s okay to let it be there.” Stan rests his forehead against Ford’s chin, closing his eyes. “We need to stop clinging to it already.”

Ford doesn’t know if he agrees, but he wraps his arms around Stan anyway, pulling him close. He kisses Stan’s forehead, the bridge and the tip of his nose, his cheeks, his eyes. He doesn’t seem to be able to stop, nor even let Stan kiss him back, though Stan tries, his lips catching against the corner of Ford’s mouth and the line of his jaw every now and then. Stan’s arms wind around him too, and they embrace each other tight, like that will help chase their ghosts away.

Maybe it will, if they hold on long enough.

If they keep holding.


End file.
